Mammoth is 75 of 150 trails. That would be 1,750 but I was just there and I'm calling 1,500.

Vail 1,150

Whistler 1,000 but Blackcomb will not open until Thanksgiving, so we should expect 2,000 then.

Trail counts which imply 1,000+ acres:

Big White 55 out of 118. 46 inch base is also the highest number on that page.

Lake Louise 69 out of 145

Sun Peaks 41 out of 133

Sunshine Village 37 out of 145

I've been seeing high snowfall totals in western Canada all month, so these strong openings don't surprise me that much.

Here's Front Range Colorado by comparison:

Keystone 533 acres

Breck 306 acres

Loveland 228

A-Basin 176

Copper 160 acres

Winter Park 100 acres

The above numbers are totally consistent with the amount of snow received (remember it's light and dry and builds a base slowly) and the historical data of terrain openings in Colorado since 1988.

People can draw their own conclusions, but when you also consider the skier traffic in Front Range Colorado vs. other regions, I fail to see the case that it's the region of choice for someone who wants to ski Thanksgiving/December 1. Unless you live within drive distance or are too lazy to fly anywhere but Denver.

We're having an average to above average start to the season across nearly the entire West, which is of course great stoke compared to the last 4 seasons. But there is really nothing out of the ordinary about the stats above. Wolf Creek and Targhee are routinely at/near the top of the list for getting maximum terrain open in the early season. The low skier traffic reputation of both areas is also a big plus in early season.

I got 2 free tickets to cooper one time and it was not worth the long drive..... F L A T zero reason to go there when you have to drive through summit county to get there.

OP was asking about groomers. I assume that's not your favorite terrain.

Yes, but the complaint was about its being flat, which I've also heard. Just because you like groomers doesn't mean you don't want at least a little pitch. And bear in mind Summit County is already accused of being pretty flat.

Yes, but the complaint was about its being flat, which I've also heard. Just because you like groomers doesn't mean you don't want at least a little pitch. And bear in mind Summit County is already accused of being pretty flat.

Cooper is neat because of the historical aspects, it has like a mile long platter for your kids to fall off halfway up, and it's off the beaten path. It's not a destination, but it does feel like going back in time. You have to have fun at Cooper. There's nothing else to do.

For a few hundred acres of long blue and green groomers, certainly it would be a zero crowds early season deal. If it were open right now, and I had to buy a ticket, Cooper > Copper by a surface platter mile.

I don't see anything wrong with warning a potential visitor about a resorts cons, or drumming up excitement with pros. Unfortunately, Cooper does have long flat runs and it is way out in the middle of nothing. Meanwhile you drive past several superior resorts to get to Cooper. So..... no, if the op wants groomers then plenty to pick from, Keystone, Brek, Copper, Winterpark, Vail etc.....